Music manager dropped from The X Factor over links to Tulisa sex tape

Music manager Chris Herbert has been dropped from The X Factor after it emerged he is being sued by Tulisa over links to her leaked sex tape.

Tulisa Contostavlos is suing Chris Herbert (Picture: Getty)

The man who created the Spice Girls had been brought onto the show in a consultancy role, but was quickly dropped after he was added as a legal defendant in Tulisa’s ongoing legal battle over the leak.

Her ex-boyfriend Justin Edwards has already admitted deliberately leaking footage of the N-Dubz singer performing a sex act, but Tulisa has also accused five other men including Herbert of being involved in the leak.

In a written statement Tulisa’s lawyer claimed Herbert, who managed Edwards, ‘played a pivotal role in commercial exploitation of the film’ and was ‘aware of, involved in and consulted’ while the plan to leak the tape was put together.

Tulisa claims Edwards and his alleged accomplices had hoped to make £4million by distributing the tape online.

According to The Sun, Herbert was swiftly dropped from the show after bosses were made aware of Tulisa’s legal claim.

A spokesman said: ‘As a result of us becoming aware of the ongoing legal dispute between Tulisa and Mr Herbert, we have decided it is in everyone’s interest for him to not be involved in the forthcoming series.’

X Factor boss Simon Cowell had previously enjoyed a close professional relationship with Herbert, but sources at his company Syco insisted he had not been involved in Herbert’s hiring for the ITV show.

One said: ‘They have not worked together for a number of years. He was not aware of this legal issue.’

Simon Cowell used to work with Chris Herbert (Picture: Fox)

Cowell has stood by Tulisa throughout the sex tape scandal, insisting her job as an X Factor judge was safe once news of the scandal broke in March.

He said at the time: ‘I mean, God, if I said no [to her returning to The X Factor] it’s allowing every sleazebag in the country to wreck somebody’s career when she didn’t do something wrong.’

‘What she was doing was not illegal. You are allowed to do this stuff in your bedroom.’

Cowell also hit out at Edwards, saying whoever leaked the explicit footage was a ‘scumbag’.

‘It’s disgusting, repulsive,’ he said.

‘He’s embarrassed her and he’s got no right to put her in this position.’

Last week Tulisa won an apology from her ex, who described leaking the footage as ‘ungentlemanly’.

In a statement Tulisa said Edwards, aka MC Ultra, had ‘messed with the wrong woman’.